Mark's views on what's happening in the media.

Look out Top Chef, The Next Food Network Star and all of the other Cable Culinary Competitions. FOX has its own ripoff cooking competition, featuring Gordon Ramsay, coming soon to Network TV!!

“MASTERCHEF” PREMIERES THURSDAY, JULY 29, ON FOX

Gordon Ramsay Reveals Joe Bastianich and Graham Elliot Bowles

as Fellow Judges on New Culinary Competition Series

Gordon Ramsay announced today that restaurateur wine maker Joe Bastianich and four-star chef Graham Elliot Bowles will join him as judges on MASTERCHEF, premiering Thursday, July 29 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. Bastianich is a partner of Mario Batali and has established some of New York ’s most-celebrated restaurants, including Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca, Lupa Osteria Romana and Del Posto. Bowles is the youngest four-star chef in the U.S. and the mastermind behind Chicago ’s first “bistronomic” restaurant, Graham Elliot. With Ramsay at the helm of the competition, Bastianich and Bowles will coach and judge the contestants along the way.

MASTERCHEF is the new series that takes amateur chefs – many of whom simply cook as a hobby – and attempt to turn one of them into a culinary master. Contestants on MASTERCHEF will be put through the paces with various challenges as they compete head-to-head to create delicious dishes. The series will serve as a unique platform for people from all walks of life who want to follow their dream of working as a professional chef. These contestants will have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to show their passion and excitement for food as their skills and palate are tested with the hopes of becoming the winner of MASTERCHEF.

“I’m hugely excited to have Joe and Graham join me as judges on MASTERCHEF,” said Ramsay. ”Both bring a phenomenal wealth of expertise and professional experience to the show.”

Joe Bastianich opened his first restaurant, Becco, with his mother, Lidia, in 1993. Soon after, he partnered with Mario Batali, and together they have established some of New York ’s most-celebrated restaurants, including Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca, Lupa Osteria Romana, Esca, Casa Mono, Bar Jamόn, Otto Enoteca Pizzeria and Del Posto. Expanding their horizons beyond Manhattan , Bastianich and Batali opened Enoteca San Marco, B&B Ristorante and Carnevino in Las Vegas and Pizzeria Mozza and Osteria Mozza in Los Angeles . The duo also purchased a vineyard in Italy with the goal of creating the world’s finest wines and olive oils. Their latest venture, a revolutionary retail food concept called Eataly, will be debuting this summer in New York . Eataly will be a resto-market featuring the best of Italy – from Italian products to Italian dining. Bastianich is an accomplished author whose passion for the culinary arts has been recognized with professional awards from Bon Appétit magazine and the James Beard Foundation.

Chef Graham Elliot Bowles is the culinary mastermind behind Chicago ’s first “bistronomic” restaurant, Graham Elliot, which tempers four-star cuisine with humor and accessibility. In a very short time, the 33-year-old chef has accrued accolades, includingBest New Chef in 2004 fromFood & Winemagazine and three James Beard Nominations. At age 27, Bowles was the youngest four-star chef in America . In May 2008, he opened the aptly named Graham Elliot, a restaurant that would not only bear his name, but become an extension of his passionate personality embodying his core principles of humility, courage, vision, respect and focus. He is also the chef/culinary ambassador for Lollapalooza, a three-day music festival, in which he cooks for bands backstage as well as oversees all of the restaurants at the Lollapalooza Chow Town .

MASTERCHEF is produced by Reveille, Shine TV and One Potato Two Potato and is based on a format created by Franc Roddam and Shine TV. Shine International handles distribution for the MASTERCHEF format. Elisabeth Murdoch, Franc Roddam, Mark Koops , Howard T. Owens, Gordon Ramsay, Adeline Ramage Rooney, Pat Llewellyn , J.D. Roth and Todd Nelsonserve as executive producers.

I’m excited and a little surprised to hear that FOX is going with another Season of the superb Kitchen Nightmares. While each situation seems suspiciously similar, Ramsey visits restaurant, Ramsey samples and hates the food, Ramsey fights with either the owner, the cook or both, (optional, Ramsey finds the kitchen to be a pigsty and has the staff clean kitchen), Ramsey changes the menu, Ramsey sees business make a comeback and owner thanks Ramsey, yet, I still am addicted to each situation. This show could easily be put onto a Visio flowchart.

Also, with the show airing on Friday nights, no show has ever been renewed in years after airing in that death slot. I am thrilled to see that Kitchen Nightmares has beat the odds. If you haven’t checked it out yet, do yourself a favor and sample this classic reality fare. (Press Release Follows Below)

FOX ORDERS THIRD HELPING OF “KITCHEN NIGHTMARES”

FOX has ordered a third season of KITCHEN NIGHTMARES, the ultimate restaurant revival show, it was announced today by Mike Darnell, President of Alternative Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company.

During the third season, Michelin-starred Chef Gordon Ramsay will travel the country visiting restaurants that are in desperate need of his help. With Ramsay’s reputation on the line, he will demand absolute excellence and perfection from the owners as he gives them advice on everything from food and décor to customer service and staff changes. With some training and reinforcement, Ramsay hopes to help breathe new life into these failing eateries or else many will be forced to close their doors forever.

In the next all-new episode of this season’s KITCHEN NIGHTMARES, airing Friday, March 19 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX, Chef Ramsay visits Mama Rita’s, a struggling Mexican restaurant in Newbury Park, CA. Owner Laura dreams of honoring her grandmother’s cooking legacy, but finds the transition from a successful catering business to restaurant ownership challenging. With a chaotic atmosphere in the kitchen and a lack of leadership from management, this restaurant faces foreclosure if Gordon is unable to help Laura’s cooking staff add some spice back into their business.

Founded by Arthur Smith and Kent Weed in 2000, A. Smith & Co. Productions generates some of the most innovative, highest-rated and highest-quality unscripted programming for the domestic and international television marketplace. Since its launch, the company has created over 1,000 hours of programming and has developed and produced the No. 1 show in America an astonishing 12 times and a top-five show more than 50 times. The company’s current production slate with world-renowned chef Gordon Ramsay includes KITCHEN NIGHTMARES and the Emmy® Award-nominated HELL’S KITCHEN.

About

Mark Cosenza is a freelance writer with over 15 years of experience covering the world of TV, Music and News. Check out his latest articles and views in the entertainment industry. Follow him on Twitter @xwiseguyx